The Stat Trainer Saviors
by HopelessRomantic1020
Summary: When the Sinnoh region is endangered by the growing threat of Team Galactic, the League decides to put together a team of people with Pokémon-like superpowers to help defend their nation in its darkest hour. A rewrite of my old story, "Rise of the Sinnoh Saviors", starring the five Stat Trainers from DPPt. Something of a superhero AU. Rated T to be safe.
1. Briefings in the Battleground

**Hello, readers! Been a little while, huh? So I was looking through some of my old works, and I decided that there was one in particular that I've always wanted to come back to and rewrite. That work is none other than _Rise of the Sinnoh Saviors_ , a superhero-style story that stars Mira, Riley, and the rest of the Stat Trainers as they fight to reclaim their home from a beefed-up Team Galactic. I stopped writing it after Chapter 7 because I really didn't like how I had essentially written myself into a corner by splitting up Mira, Riley, and Cheryl from each other so soon. It's hard to explain, but I really just didn't like it and I feel like the tone got maybe too dark at times.**

 **I'll still leave _RSS_ posted so anyone who's interested can check it out, but it's more or less been relegated to collect dust on my proverbial shelf. That being said, I hope I'm able to do this story justice (heh) this time around. As always, I greatly encourage you, the readers, to leave feedback. It can be anything from general thoughts, opinions, questions, comments, concerns, and _especially_ constructive criticism. This allows me to really grow and improve as a writer, and this can only mean that I'll be able to put out higher-quality works. As always, let me know what works, what doesn't, all that good stuff!**

 **Also, don't worry; _So Glad You're Safe_ is still alive and well, this is just something a little different that I've been meaning to try out. Now that school's out, I should be able to update that more frequently as well. Fun!**

* * *

It was 9:30 PM in the Sinnoh region, and the Battleground café located in the Battle Zone was full of the usual patrons at this time: drinkers, gamblers, homeless people taking shelter from the rain, and a man in a brown trench coat. The man sat at a table in the corner of the dimly-lit bar, sipping his drink every now and then as he listened to the pianist's melancholic tune. About five minutes had passed before a younger man in blue entered the establishment, wearing a fancy suit with a hat to match. The second man walked up to the counter and ordered a drink before the first walked up to him.

"Good afternoon, sir," the trench coat man greeted in an odd voice. "I take it you received my letter?"

"It's nighttime," the man in blue chuckled. "I recall receiving _a_ letter, but it could have been from anyone really. The only signature I could find on it was from someone named 'l00k3r'-"

"Shhh!" The strange man shushed his companion rather loudly. "Do you want to cause a scene!?"

Every patron in the café briefly stopped what they were doing to stare at the odd pair, with some audible mumbling here and there.

"Not sure, seems like you're much better suited to that task than I am..."

"We've no time for japes, sir. Follow me into the backroom at once."

Before the younger man could say anything, "l00k3r" had already begun walking to the back of the bar, opening a door and covertly motioning for him to follow. Fortunately, most of the patrons had already gone back to what they were doing. Once both men had made their way through the door, the man designated "l00k3r" closed it and gestured for the younger man to sit with him at a lone table in the room. There sat a tall blonde woman dressed in black, a wide-brimmed hat concealing her eyes.

"So nice of you to join us tonight, Riley."

"... How do you know my name?" Riley inquired, eying the woman cautiously. "... Who are you, really?"

"Riley, I'm hurt," the blonde woman gasped with a hand to her heart, feigning offense. Lifting her head so the gray of her eye was visible, she continued, "Surely you haven't forgotten about little miss Cynthia, now have you?"

"C-Cynthia!?" Riley blurted, utterly shocked. "As in… the currently reigning champion of Sinnoh? _The_ Cynthia!?"

"Sir, I implore you," "l00k3r" pleaded with Riley, "it is imperative that you do not raise your voice."

Cynthia chuckled. "It's quite alright, Looker. I know the owner of this establishment quite well; these walls are as soundproof as a Whismur."

Turning to Riley, she continued, "Please, sit with us. There is much we need to discuss."

Nodding hesitantly, Riley made his way over to the table with Looker and both men sat down. Riley couldn't believe what was happening; he was actually in the presence of the Sinnoh League Champion herself! But… what could she want with him? More to the point, how did she even know his name?

"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is simple; the League has been keeping our eyes on you for quite some time now, Riley," Cynthia said, pouring everyone a drink. Looker graciously accepted the beverage while Riley politely refused his. "Surely you must know by now of the atrocities of Team Galactic?"

Riley shook his head. "In truth, I've mostly kept to myself on Iron Island. I'm not one for television either, so I haven't really been able to keep up with the news."

Cynthia's eye narrowed as she sipped her drink. "I see. Then it is up to Looker and I to fill you in on the details. Looker, if you will."

Looker nodded, downing the last of his drink before procuring a piece of paper from his trench coat. Riley eyed the man suspiciously as Looker began to read.

"For years, Sinnoh had been regarded as a peaceful region; the land is vast and diverse, but we've generally never had much in the way of illegal activity. Trainers young and old alike were able to live and work freely alongside their beloved partners without fear, and all was as it should have been.

Naturally, it wouldn't be long before someone went and ruined things for everyone. This someone in particular was none other than Cyrus, the Supreme Leader of Team Galactic. Once a young boy with a penchant for building and operating machinery, his life was changed forever when his grandparents were killed by one of his robotic creations. Accounts vary on whether or not it was intentional; the one thing everyone can agree on is that, following these events, Cyrus ran away from his home in Sunyshore City and started up a street gang that would one day evolve into the monstrosity that is Team Galactic.

Team Galactic had started out harmless enough; they mostly just committed petty theft and were promptly beaten back into the shadows by young Pokémon trainers. As Team Galactic rose in numbers, however, they resorted to more cruel and deadly means of battling. Many of their "acquired" Pokémon had been horribly experimented on, some having all of their powers stripped from them. It was even rumored that some higher ranking members of Team Galactic had somehow managed to transfer those powers into themselves. We're not really sure what their endgame is - what Cyrus has planned in the grand scheme of things - but it can't be good. All is not lost, however. You see, there have been rumors of humans being born with strange powers thought only to exist in Pokémon; others are said to have acquired them at later parts of their lives. We have reason to believe that you, Mr. Riley, are one of those special individuals."

"Goodness, that was a hefty amount of exposition," Looker huffed, sinking back into his seat and pouring himself another glass. "I apologize, but I need this."

"My god… I had no idea things were this dire," Riley spoke quietly, his brow furrowed as he closed his eyes. "Granted, I don't believe I've encountered them more than once or twice, but..."

"In truth, we at the League considered them a nuisance at the absolute worst. How wrong we were," Cynthia spat, glaring down at the table. "I still consider it my greatest mistake that I did not personally put an end to Team Galactic's plans before they grew in number and power. I'm a failure to my people…"

"Miss Cynthia, please," Looker begged. "You could not have possibly known they would become this heinous! Do not blame yourself."

Riley nodded firmly, folding his arms. "He's right. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and it's not like you had the power of precognition on your side."

Cynthia smiled sadly. "I appreciate your kind words, both of you, but this is still partially my fault. Even with my Pokémon behind me and my own abilities, I'm still not strong enough to face an army. Hence why I must gather strong allies to aid the League in its quest for justice."

"Understandable, but… why me in particular? I'm not a trainer anymore, and I certainly don't have any special powers or anything of the sort," Riley argued, standing from his seat to leave. "I'm just a regular guy with strange taste in clothing, alright?"

"That's not true and we both know it," Cynthia retorted, a slight edge to her voice. By now, Looker had ingested a few too many glasses of Cheru-Beer and was slumped over in his chair, snoring peacefully.

Standing herself, the tall blonde Champion pressed on. "I know of your inner pain, Riley. Believe me, nothing hurts more than losing a partner-"

"What could you possibly know about me!?" Riley barked, losing his composure. "I… I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Oh, Riley," Cynthia sighed wistfully, "you can't hide it from me. The pain of losing your Lucario… the guilt you feel…"

"That's enough," Riley shook his head, walking to the door. "I don't know _how_ you got that information, but… I don't want to talk about this anymore. And I'm _not_ a 'special' or 'superhero' or anything like that, so don't come to me about joining your little club anymore, okay?"

"But, Riley-"

"No. I… I'm sorry, Champion Cynthia," Riley apologized sincerely, opening the door that led back to the bar, "but I just can't be the hero you want me to be."

Riley didn't get very far into the Battleground's main room before he was greeted by a very unusual sight. The bar had been almost entirely vacated. The only other people present were the nervous bartender and five angry-looking men in bizarre spacesuits and even more bizarre teal haircuts. Riley could see that the men were conversing with the poor bartender, blunt weapons in hand.

"We ain't askin' ya, we're tellin' ya," one of them threatened, pointing a crowbar at the man's face. "Where. Is. Cynthia!"

"H-how should I know!? She never frequents this place," the bartender answered quickly. "E-e-especially not during Happy Hour, which DEFINITELY isn't around this time of night!"

One of the grunts seemed satisfied with this response. "Well, I mean, he did say that it's _not_ Happy Hour, right? So that must mean…"

"... Drinks are at full price?" Another grunt spoke up.

"NO, you idiots!" The tallest of the five roared, unamused with his coworkers' stupidity. "It means we got a dirty LIAR over here! And you all know what the big boss does to liars! Let's tear out his-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Riley spoke coolly, trying to keep his temper in check. "Let's not lose our heads, alright? I'm sure this is just a big misunderstandin-"

The man in blue couldn't even finish his sentence before one of the grunts swung at him, striking him over the head and knocking him to the floor. As Riley tried to refocus his vision, he could hear the grunts laughing at him. A primal rage began to rise in the man, and Riley rose to his feet with a roar as he turned around and struck the nearest grunt in the chest with a flaming blue fist. The grunt was sent sliding across the bar counter, knocking all of the glasses off in the process, before falling off the side. The other four grunts were none too amused.

"Holy shit, he's one of them freaks!"

"Ice the bastard!"

Riley smirked to himself. Swearing; now he _knew_ he was in for it. Riley barely had any time to think before all four standing grunts came rushing at him, baseball bats and crowbars in hand. As the first swung, Riley stepped off to the side and delivered a hard stomp to the man's left knee, sending him to the floor. Riley ducked the next swing before grabbing the arm holding the weapon and twisting it behind the grunt's back, making him scream in pain as he dropped his bat. The last two grunts both swung their weapons simultaneously and Riley lifted the second grunt in front of him, his skull absorbing both hits. Dropping the unconscious man, the blue bruiser lunged towards both grunts with his arms outstretched and his fists clenched, striking them both in the neck and flooring them.

"D-damnit," one grunt coughed, "the hell does this guy eat!?"

"I told you we shouldn't have left our Pokémon back at base, but noooo!"

"Well? Come on then!" Riley challenged, not even noticing that his head had begun to bleed. "Don't start what you can't finish!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Cynthia had peeked her head outside of the secret door and was watching him with a satisfied smile on her face.

"He's j-just one guy," another grunt spat as he rose to his feet, no longer holding a weapon. "I… I'll waste you myself!"

With a roar, the brave grunt sprawled towards Riley with his fist raised high above his head. Riley effortlessly grabbed the man's wrist and kicked him hard in the stomach. The grunt sharply exhaled, the air leaving his lungs as he sank to his knees. Riley grabbed the man by the throat with his left hand and balled his right hand into a fist, his aura gathering into it and burning a bright blue. Riley had never been in such a brawl before, and he was still angry about what Cynthia had said before; it was no small wonder that his powers were flaring up at the moment.

" _Riley…"_

Turning his head to face Cynthia, he could see that she was still looking at him. He wasn't able to pinpoint her emotions at the moment; gratitude, pride… pity? Riley looked back at the grunt in his grasp, blue in the face and grasping Riley's wrist with both hands in desperation.

"You know," Riley began, once again calm, "you're right. I am just one guy."

To everyone's surprise, Riley's right hand stopped glowing as he released the grunt. The grunt in question grasped his neck in pain and scrambled to the side of the other four, the last of which had recently gotten back up.

"Get out of here before I change my mind."

"Y-you'll pay for this," one grunt threatened, making a hasty retreat from the bar with his friends. Riley sighed and sat in the nearest chair by the counter, putting his head down. He could patch himself up later; right now he just needed to rest.

Cynthia, meanwhile, sat by his side and took his hat off, examining the wound. He was indeed bleeding, though probably not enough to kill him. Regardless, Cynthia would have to deal with him herself. She couldn't just leave her potential savior alone and injured, after all.

"Barkeep," she called, getting the hiding bartender's attention. "I apologize for the mess. I will gladly pay for the damages as long as you promise that we were never here. Understood?"

"Y-you got it, Miss Champion," he nodded hastily, examining the state of the establishment.

"Thank you," Cynthia said with a sweet smile. "I feel sorry for Flint and his brother, but I think I know how to make it up to them…"

"Goodness… what have I missed?" Looker yawned, having recently awakened from his alcohol-induced slumber. "This place is certainly in disarray…"

"Ready the jeep, Looker," Cynthia ordered immediately. "We need to take Riley to the nearest Pokémon Center at once."

"I was unaware that the center for Pokémon also attended to human injuries!" Looker exclaimed, genuinely surprised. "Sinnoh is certainly full of wonder!"

"Looker…"

"Ah, yes! To the Leaguemobile!"

"Nobody calls it that, Looker. It's just a jeep."

"Right... to the jeep, then!"

Cynthia sighed as her strange Interpol friend left the building, turning her attention back to the now unconscious Riley. "Perhaps it was wrong of me to peer into his mind like that… I only wanted him to see that he could still use his powers for good…"

Pressing a napkin to the bloody spot on Riley's head, she smiled somberly as Looker came back into the bar with a stretcher. Helping load Riley's body onto the carrier, she placed his hat on his chest before lifting one side, Looker lifting the other. As Cynthia peered into the deep within the recesses of Riley's resting mind to make sure he was still alright, only one thing could be heard.

"F...i… Mi...r...a…"


	2. Trouble at Stark Mountain

_Stark Mountain, 11:45 PM_

Buck could feel the sweat crawling down his back as he approached the base of the volcano as quietly as he could. He was burning up in anticipation; this would be the defining moment in his young life. The moment wherein he would recover the famed Magma Stone that was rumored to exist at the heart of the volcano. Such a treasure would bring him glory, honor, fame, and wealth beyond his wildest dreams!

… Or so he heard, anyway.

" _Whoever possesses the Magma Stone shall possess the might of Heatran itself."_

"Oh yeah," Buck mumbled aloud to himself. "That too. Cool!"

"Hey, did you hear something?"

Buck gasped and hid in the tall grass nearby, trying not to draw any more attention to himself. Sure enough, several strange men and women in spacesuits were passing by, clearly intent on entering the volcano themselves.

"Just the sound of my stomach," a grunt complained. "I really wish I had eaten before we left…"

"Quiet, you lot!" an old voice commanded. Peering through the grass, Buck could see an old man with a funny haircut leading the invaders. "Lord Cyrus has sent us here for one reason and one reason only, and it's NOT to stand around talking about our stomachs! Now get in there and bring me that stone!"

Buck's confused look became one of anger; those wannabe space cadets were after his Magma Stone! Sure, it wasn't his _yet_ , but he had already called mental dibs on it!

Without thinking, Buck leapt from his hiding spot and stood in front of the volcano entrance with his arms spread out.

"Wait!"

"What the…? Who dares to stand in Team Galactic's way?" the old man demanded, glaring daggers at the boy. Several grunts began to move in front of him protectively, clutching Poké Balls and strange guns.

"Team Galactic, huh?" Buck questioned, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Mmm… Nope! Never heard of them. And I know quite a few people, lemme tell ya!"

The old man smiled, his ruby glasses gleaming. "Is that so…? In that case, allow me to make a good first impression. I am Charon, Supreme Commander of Team Galactic, second only to Lord Cyrus himself!"

"Uh," one grunt spoke up, "actually, Boss, you're not really _the_ commander of commanders, you know? Technically, you're actually the newest-"

"SILENCE!" Charon barked, causing the grunts to flinch. Turning back to Buck, he continued, "In any case, boy, I will say this only once; stay out of Team Galactic's affairs or you will be destroyed!"

"I see your death threat and raise you one alternative," Buck quipped smugly. "Fly home, moonmen. Leave Stark Mountain to the _real_ explorers."

"Three," Charon began counting down, his grunts releasing their Golbat and Mightyena as everyone began to move forward towards the boy. Buck merely stood in his place, smirking.

Charon grit his teeth and twitched his eyebrow. "Two-"

Before he could finish, he was rudely cut off by a large wall of flames erupting just a couple feet away from his grunts. The flame wall obstructed Charon's view of the volcano entrance, and the boy had already disappeared by the time the flames had died down.

"What the hell? That's kid's a freak too?" a grunt coughed.

"It doesn't matter who or what he is," Charon spat, "he's after the Magma Stone! Get in there and stop him NOW!"

As the Galactic grunts and their Pokémon ran into Stark Mountain's entrance, Charon reached into his lab coat and pulled out a futuristic device before speaking into it.

"Saturn, this is Charon. I'm afraid we've found another one. Tell J to hurry up and get over here!"

"Claydol," Buck called, releasing his trusted partner as he ran, "Earth Power!"

The Ground-Psychic Pokémon got to work immediately, using its powers to lift several large chunks of earth from the ground. Claydol then turned and threw the geo-matter at the grunts and their Pokémon not too far behind them. Naturally, the Golbat were not affected by the attack, but the grunts and their Mightyena were slowed down considerably, some being knocked off their feet. As the Bat Pokémon continued to follow the exploration duo, Buck turned around and let loose a powerful jet of flame from his right hand. The Golbat went down in an instant, unconscious and singed.

"That should buy me some time to find the stone," Buck said with a nod. "Stay close behind me, Claydol! Don't let anyone get near us!"

With their adversaries slowed down, the pair made its way deeper into the depths of Stark Mountain, the temperature growing hotter. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Buck and his Claydol came to a clearing in the volcano, seeing a final opening up ahead.

"This has to be the place," Buck claimed confidently. "Keep a look out for any suspicious people, Claydol. I'll be back with the Magma Stone before you even know it."

The Ground-Psychic type said nothing, but took position in front of the entrance as its young master snuck into the deepest chamber of Stark Mountain.

Buck was amazed as he walked into the chamber. There wasn't much to see, but the stone sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room was giving off a powerful red glow. It almost seemed to be pulsing, as if it were the very heart of the volcano itself.

"... Well, it ain't gonna snatch itself," Buck said with a shrug. "I'd better hurry and nab it before anything bad happens!"

Creeping up to the pedestal, Buck could hardly contain his excitement as the Magma Stone became closer and closer. His heart raced, his palms became sweaty, and his eyes began to flare up with anticipation. He nearly reached out to grab the stone before stopping himself.

"Wait a second," Buck whispered, reaching into his bag and pulling out an ordinary rock about the same size as the Magma Stone. Cautiously, he grabbed the Magma Stone with one hand and slid it off the pedestal, quickly replacing it with the rock. As soon as it was completed, Buck immediately recoiled, clutching the Magma Stone to his chest as he anticipated the worst. Surprisingly enough, nothing seemed to be happening-

"BUCK!"

Buck nearly leapt out of his skin as he heard a loud voice behind him. Turning, he could see that it belonged to none other than Flint, his older brother and one of the Elite Four. Buck's Claydol entered closely behind him, looking ashamed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Flint admonished, glaring daggers at the younger trainer.

"Uh, me? Nothing!" Buck lied, hiding the Magma Stone behind his back. He was both frightened and surprised to see Flint of all people here, but he had to admit that the stone was pleasantly warm to the touch.

"'Nothing', huh?" Flint remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that why the Magma Stone is behind your back?"

"It's not what it looks like!" Buck protested. "These weird people in spacesuits came here to steal it! I'm just here to… protect it! Yeah, let's go with that!"

"... Spacesuits? Oh, no," Flint uttered, annoyance morphing into concern.

"Oh, _yes_."

Both brothers and Claydol turned to see a strange silver-haired woman standing behind them, wearing a dark trench coat. She also wore a metal gauntlet on her right hand and a dark visor around her eyes; several Galactic grunts flanked her on either side, clearly annoyed.

"The Magma Stone _and_ a member of the Elite Four? Looks like it's payday," the woman claimed with a small grin.

"Who are you?" Flint demanded, his eyes narrowed.

"J. Hunter J. It's nice to finally meet you, Flint. I've heard great things about you," J replied coolly before turning to Buck. "I suppose this is your brother? The resemblance is uncanny."

"Yeah, well-"

"Enough with the formalities. Hand over that Magma Stone at once, boy. And as for you, Flint; you'll also be coming with me."

"I… what? No!" Buck refused. "You Galactic jerks can't have this stone! And you're definitely not taking my brother!"

"Buck," Flint whispered, eyeing his brother carefully. As Buck's eyes met his, he could see that he was also shifting a glance at Claydol.

"... What do you even want with the Magma Stone anyway?" Buck asked, still holding the object in question as he eyed his Pokémon. Claydol returned his gaze to the best of his ability and nodded.

"Simple," J began. "Their boss gets the stone for whatever weird experiment he's planning, and my wallet gets a little fatter. Now are you going to be a good boy and cooperate, or am I going to have to make an example out of you?"

"I mean, that sounds like a good enough offer, buuuuuut… now!"

In an instant, Claydol raised its appendages and caused the ground to shake tremendously, knocking everyone off their feet except for the brothers and J.

"Hurry!" Buck called to his brother, climbing on top of Claydol's head. His brother joined him and the Ground-Psychic Pokémon began to fly out of the room. Buck made sure to tuck the Magma Stone safely in his bag for the time being. As the trio began to make their way out of the still-rumbling volcano, Hunter J flew closely behind them on her Salamence.

"Oh god," Flint cried as the dragon approached them from behind. "There's no way we can outfly that thing!"

"Bro, relax!" Buck called back. "I can think of something!"

"No… I know what I have to do," the older brother replied.

"Flint, what are you-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Buck watched in shock and horror as his older brother leapt off of Claydol and onto J's Salamence.

"Claydol!" Flint called back, igniting his hands with a snap of his fingers. "Take care of Buck for me!"

"You have a lot of nerve challenging me like this!" J barked. "Salamence! Catch that boy! I'll deal with this one on the ground."

Suddenly, J leapt from her seated position and tackled Flint off of the Dragon Pokémon, sending both tumbling to the ground as it chased after Buck and Claydol.

"Flint!" Buck cried, not believing what his brother had just done. "Claydol, stop! We gotta go back for him!"

" _Master, I politely refuse. Mainly because we have more pressing issues at hand!"_

Buck's confusion at his partner's sudden use of telepathy was short-lived as he felt the impact of J's Salamence biting one of Claydol's appendages. Claydol cried out in pain as Buck held onto his partner tightly with one hand. What was he to do in such a dire situation?!

" _Whoever possesses the Magma Stone shall possess the might of Heatran itse-"_

"Yeah, yeah, I got it! No need to remind me, Prophecy Voice!" Buck cried, reaching into his bag and pulling out the Magma Stone. With a mighty war cry, Buck reached over and slammed the stone into the Salamence's head as hard as he could. The combined force of the impact and heat of the Magma Stone was too much for J's instrument of destruction, and the Salamence was forced to relinquish its grip on Claydol before collapsing to the ground unconscious.

"Sorry!" Buck called back, sad that he had to resort to such measures. He was even more concerned about his brother, however; Flint was strong both with and without his Pokémon, but… would it be enough?

" _Master Buck, please don't worry,"_ Claydol attempted to console buck as the duo reached the outside of Stark Mountain. _"I'm sure Master Flint will be just fine. He has Infernape, his other Pokémon, and his own powers of pyrokinesis!"_

"Yeah, but… What if it's not enough, Claydol?"

" _Master Buck…"_

"... Forget it," the boy shook his head, grinning despite himself. "I'm sure he'll come out on top; he always does! Let's just wait out at the Battleground for him to get back."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Buck."

Claydol turned around, allowing both it and Buck to see a tall blonde woman standing a few feet away, an unconscious Charon at her feet.

"... Cynthia?" Buck asked. "What are you doing here? And why can't we go to the Battleground? Grandpa owns it and everything!"

"I know," Cynthia sighed, "and I still need to pay him for tonight."

"What are you talking about? What's going on?!"

"I'm afraid those people you dealt with inside weren't the only Team Galactic members lurking in the Survival Area tonight. There was some property damage incurred at the Battleground just a few hours ago; some grunts appeared and a patron fought them off single-handedly."

"Woah… sounds almost as good as me!" Buck joked, getting off of Claydol and returning it to its ball.

Cynthia smiled, though it soon gave way to a frown. "Yes, well… unfortunately, he received a nasty head wound in the scuffle. We're treating him at a nearby Pokémon Center now. From there, we hope to transport him to the League."

"The League… Flint!" Buck cried, remembering his brother's sacrifice.

"Your brother… is strong," Cynthia soothed the boy, a hand on his shoulder for comfort. "I have the utmost faith that he'll make it out okay. We need to get out of here, though. I've gotten wind that another wave of Galactics is on its way here, and we don't have the firepower to deal with them right now. Will you come with me, Buck?"

"... Yeah, sure," Buck sighed, looking back at Stark Mountain. What was supposed to be a simple exploration trip turned into something much more sinister, and the ordinarily-hotheaded boy wasn't quite sure how to handle this. Knowing Cynthia, she could only be headed someplace safe.

"Splendid," Cynthia smiled, a glint in her eye. "Perhaps you'll get the chance to meet Riley once he's recovered. Maybe even the others, too…"

"Others? What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later," Cynthia sighed, shaking her head and smiling. "For now, we have to get out of here."

As the duo left, the smoke billowing from the top of Stark Mountain seemed to intensify, the volcano letting out a sorrowful rumble.


End file.
